June 11, 2025 — Belly of the Beast

Trump proclaimed a travel ban last week that fully prohibits the entry to the U.S. of nationals from 12 countries and partially restricts nationals of seven other countries, including Cuba.

Cuba is on the partially restricted list along with Burundi, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. The fully restricted countries are: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

What this means for Cuba:

The ban prohibits Cuban nationals from entering the U.S. as immigrants with the exception of immediate family and individuals whose entry “would serve a United States national interest.” It also suspends the entry into the U.S. of nonimmigrants on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, or J visas. These visa categories are used by people traveling to the U.S. for tourism, business, education and cultural and research exchanges.

The proclamation also orders consular officers to limit the length of time that a nonimmigrant visa is valid for nationals of Cuba “to the extent permitted by law.”

This is bad news for Cubans, but it could have been worse. Leaked reports weeks ago indicated Cuba would be on a “red list” that included the countries facing a total prohibition of travel.

Why it matters:

The travel ban drives a wedge between Cuban families on both sides of the Florida Straits. Fewer Cubans will be able to travel back and forth between the two countries, which could impact the flow of cash and goods coming to the island on planes — a lifeline for many Cuban households.

The travel ban is also one more blow to bilateral collaboration. During the Obama opening with Cuba, the two countries rapidly expanded cooperation in areas like science, the environment, sports and culture. Those mutually beneficial exchanges were greatly reduced under both Trump and Biden (see our article on how sanctions under Biden hindered biotech collaboration).

Will the travel ban slow migration?

There is no evidence the ban on Cuba will serve its stated purpose of protecting the United States from “foreign terrorists and other public safety threats.” Nor is there evidence it will hinder migration to the United States.

Ironically, U.S. sanctions and other punitive measures on Cuba under both Trump and Biden have fueled migration. Over the past five years, Cuba has experienced its biggest emigration wave in history. More than 10% of the population has left the island, with most people going to the U.S.

The (shaky) reasoning

The Trump administration provided the following reasons to justify the partial travel ban on Cuba:

1. Cuba sponsors terrorism
2. Cuba does not fully cooperate with the U.S. on law enforcement
3. Cuba has historically refused to accept the deportation of its nationals from the U.S.
4. Non-immigrant Cubans frequently overstay their visas

Let’s break these down…

1. Does Cuba sponsor terrorism? The “consensus position” for decades in the U.S. intelligence community is that Cuba does not sponsor terrorism. When the outgoing Biden administration started to remove Cuba from the U.S. government’s State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list in January, a State Department spokesperson confirmed there was “no credible evidence” to support the designation. The irony is Cuba has long been a victim of terrorist attacks carried out by Cuban Americans operating from U.S. soil. One such group, Omega 7, was once considered by the FBI to be the most dangerous terrorist organization in the United States. Some of these terrorists and their financial backers in the U.S. had ties to disgraced former Senator Bob Menendez, a longtime ally of Joe Biden (see more in our documentary Hardliner on the Hudson). Fellow Cuban-American hardliner Marco Rubio helped ensure Cuba would remain on the SSOT list after he was named secretary of state. The designation has had a devastating impact on Cuba’s economy, cutting the island off from international trade, banking, credit and investment.

2. Does Cuba not fully cooperate in law enforcement efforts? Cuba has a long history of cooperating with the U.S. on law enforcement issues even when relations between the two countries have been tense. For example, the two countries have long worked together to stop drug trafficking (see our interview with a U.S. Coast Guard official about U.S.-Cuba cooperation on security matters). Biden took Cuba off the list of countries “not fully cooperating” on counterterrorism efforts – citing ongoing law enforcement cooperation, including on counterterrorism – only for Trump to reverse the decision.

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3. Does Cuba not accept deportees? Cuba recently accepted a deportation flight of 130 people from the United States. It was the fifth deportation flight since the beginning of the year. Cuba has continued to receive monthly deportation flights in line with U.S.-Cuba migration accords, even though the Trump administration has abandoned the migration talks with Cuban authorities that had occurred regularly under Biden. In an interview with Politico, Senior Cuban diplomat Johana Tablada said that Marco Rubio’s State Department “is not interested in having conversations with Cuba,” and that she and Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío were snubbed by U.S. officials when they visited Washington.

4. Overstay rates. Many Cubans do overstay their visas and end up living in the United States because U.S. law and policy makes doing so relatively easy. Cubans have historically enjoyed privileges no other immigrant community has in the United States thanks to the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, which allows Cubans who enter the U.S. legally to become U.S. residents a year and a day after their arrival. As a result, many Cubans who arrived in the U.S. through non-immigrant visas overstay because they know they have a legal pathway to residency as long as they remain in the U.S. for 366 days. Trump’s crackdown on non-immigrant travel during his first term further incentivized Cubans to overstay their visas since it became more difficult for them to come and go without first becoming U.S. residents.

By Ivan Taylor — June 10, 2025 / CBS Miami

The Trump administration’s newly expanded travel ban took effect Monday, triggering confusion and concern among travelers at Miami International Airport — especially those with ties to Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti.

The ban, which applies to nationals from 12 countries and imposes partial restrictions on several others, has left many South Florida residents with family abroad worried about their ability to reunite with loved ones. 

Cuba is one of seven countries with partial restrictions, on the same list is Venezuela. The full travel ban applies mainly to Arab and African nations, but it also includes Haiti from this hemisphere.

The first day of implementation brought mixed experiences for travelers, some of whom were questioned by customs agents, while others passed through without issue.

Travelers from Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti express fear and frustration

Katheleen Areas, who frequently travels to Havana, said the ban has derailed her plans to bring her mother to the U.S.

“That was my plan, but now with these new restrictions, bringing her to the U.S. is now out of the question,” Arias, who is a U.S. resident, told CBS News Miami. 

She said her long-term goal was to bring her mother to South Florida under the family reunification plan, but she said that now that is only a dream.

Alexis Alvarez, a U.S. resident who just returned from Cuba, said he was surprised by the lack of questioning upon arrival.

“They didn’t ask me anything today, not even the usual secondary screening,” said Alvarez, who is applying to become a U.S. citizen. But his relief is clouded by concern for his family.

He said his family in Santiago is concerned about the new travel restrictions.

“My attorney told me I cannot bring my wife and son any time soon. It’s a shame,” Alvarez said.

New travel restrictions could block thousands of visas

The restrictions vary by country. While Cuba and Venezuela face partial bans due to what the U.S. government calls “inadequate vetting procedures,” Haiti is subject to the full travel ban. Haitian travelers reported more scrutiny at the airport.

“They checked to confirm whether my visa was valid under the new rules,” said Naray Llany, a Haitian national with a tourist visa issued three years ago. He said customs agents asked about the purpose and duration of his trip.

The Department of State said currently valid visas will not be revoked, but individual customs officers retain discretion at the border. 

According to the U.S. government, both Cuba and Venezuela have deficient screening and vetting processes to properly identify individuals entering the U.S.

“For those of us who have family in Cuba, this is harsh. My family did not have a visa and now they can’t get one,” said a woman who did not want to reveal her identity as she headed to Havana.

President Trump has defended the travel restrictions as necessary to protect national security.

“It’s about making sure we’re enforcing our laws,” a spokesperson said.

Still, critics argue the policy disproportionately affects families. One Cuban woman heading to Havana said her relatives back home have now lost all hope of securing a visa.

“They don’t have one, and now they won’t get one,” she said.

According to the American Immigration Council, the updated travel ban could impact up to 34,000 immigrant visas and more than 125,000 non-immigrant visas.

June 10, 2025 — The Windy City Word

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Cuba’s Deputy Director of U.S. Affairs Johana Tablada offered a sobering but impassioned critique of current U.S. policy toward Cuba during an exclusive interview in Washington, D.C., where she called on Americans—especially African Americans—to pay closer attention to the consequences of decades-long sanctions and misinformation. In an interview at Black Press USA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Tablada described the current relationship between the U.S. and Cuba as being “at a low point,” marked by “maximum aggression” from the U.S. government. “It is difficult to describe this as anything but open hostility,” she told National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President & CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. “This year alone, since January 20, the U.S. has imposed more than a dozen unilateral coercive measures against Cuba.”

The NNPA is the trade association representing the more than 200 African American newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America. “On behalf of the Black Press of America, we are very pleased to welcome Secretary General Tablada to the offices of the Black Press of America. It’s important to emphasize the long-lasting and long-standing solidarity between Cuba and Black America,” Chavis declared. “The historic meeting between President Fidel Castro and Malcolm X in the 1960s in Harlem, New York, epitomized not only the friendship but the comradeship between freedom fighters in America with freedom fighters in Cuba.” U.S. sanctions, Tablada noted, go far beyond restricting trade—they now include denying visas to Cuban athletes and scientists, interfering with cultural exchanges, and cutting remittances through Western Union. “The Cuban Olympic Committee’s president wasn’t granted a visa to attend events in the U.S.,” she said. “And this during a cycle leading up to the Olympics in Los Angeles.”

Tablada specifically pointed to the Trump administration’s reinstatement of Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism as fraudulent and damaging. “It’s a designation based on lies,” she said. “And when a country is placed on that list, it becomes nearly impossible to receive oil, medical supplies, or even financial transfers due to global banking fears.” She drew a sharp contrast between the current state of U.S.-Cuba policy and the optimism that accompanied President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Havana in 2016. “We had a breakthrough,” she declared. “We were talking and engaging respectfully—even when we disagreed. That’s no longer happening.” Throughout the 40-minute interview, Tablada spoke fondly of the long-standing solidarity between Cuba and the African American community. She invoked the legacy of Malcolm X, the symbolism of his 1960 meeting with Fidel Castro in Harlem, and Cuba’s military support for liberation movements in Angola and South Africa. “Cuba is the only country in Latin America that went back to Africa and fought and died to end apartheid,” she said. “That bond with the African diaspora is deep and permanent.”

She noted that Cuban identity and culture are inextricably linked to Africa. “Our music, our food, our sense of honor—it all comes from Mother Africa. And we have a responsibility to protect that legacy,” she remarked.

Tablada called the decades-long U.S. embargo—enforced through a patchwork of laws, including the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act, the Helms-Burton Act, and the Torricelli Act—an unprecedented and inhumane measure. “There is no other country in the world that faces this level of comprehensive economic warfare,” she said. “It’s not just unfair; it’s provoked suffering and hardship.” She added that Cuba has never retaliated with sanctions or actions against the United States, highlighting the one-sided nature of the policy. The diplomat also pushed back on U.S. accusations of forced labor in Cuba’s international medical missions. “We operate in 56 countries with agreements supported by the United Nations,” she said. “Yes, those missions generate income to fund our free healthcare system—but calling that human trafficking is a grotesque lie. The U.S. is spending millions to manufacture pretexts for aggression.” Tablada warned that U.S. policies are even affecting tourism and access to energy. “Today, the U.S. actively blocks vessels from delivering oil to Cuba. It pressures other countries to deny Cuba tourism access,” she asserted. “And then it blames us for the resulting blackouts and scarcities. This is not diplomacy. This is punishment.”

Despite the challenges, Tablada expressed hope for the people of the United States. “I believe that if Americans—especially African Americans—knew the full truth, they would reject these policies,” she said. “Because they have always stood on the side of justice, from civil rights to solidarity with global liberation movements.” She extended an invitation for the Black Press of America to work with Cuban journalists to strengthen the exchange of truth. “Let’s put Cuba back on the radar,” she said. “The people of both countries want peace, not conflict.” Chavis added that the Black Press plans to travel to Cuba soon. “We are planning to take a delegation of the Black Press to visit Havanna to work out a strategic alliance between the Cuban press and the Black Press of America,” Chavis insisted. “Our interests are vital, our interests are common, not only for the present but for the future.” Asked what gives her hope, Tablada answered without hesitation: “Our youth. And the truth. When people talk to each other honestly, good things happen.” Tablada said she would welcome a conversation with President Trump himself. “Let’s talk. Cuba is not an enemy of the United States,” she said. “Let’s stop the lies and sit down. Every time we’ve done that, progress followed.”

June 9, 2025 — Al Jazeera

The Trump administration’s travel ban has kicked in and Cuba is one of the countries affected. Travel from the island will be further reduced and the US Embassy in Havana will stop issuing visas. It’s just the latest in a series of sanctions from Washington. Al Jazeera’s Ed Augustin reports from Havana, Cuba.

By: Nuria Barbosa León — June 8, 2025 — Radio Havana Cuba

At the Union Hall of the International Association of Machinists in Los Angeles, California, the commitment to continuing the fight against the criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba was reaffirmed.

Cuban diplomats David Ramírez and Yasser Ibarra highlighted the suffering caused by this cruel interventionist policy, explaining how former President Donald Trump added 243 measures during his first term that were not reversed by Joe Biden. These measures have continued to increase in Biden’s second term.

They also explained that Cuba was placed on the spurious list of state sponsors of terrorism just days before Trump left the White House in 2021, in an attempt to intensify coercive measures. Biden later removed Cuba from the list shortly before leaving office, only for the current administration to reinstate it within its first few days — without providing any evidence to justify the designation.

The only reasonable explanation for such actions is to inflict further hardship on the Cuban people, who are currently experiencing a severe economic crisis marked by prolonged power outages, shortages of food and medicine, fuel scarcity and an almost non-existent public transport system — all consequences of the blockade.

‘We resumed diplomatic relations during the Obama administration, which saw several sanctions being lifted. Within a very short time, improvements in our country could be seen by the Cuban people and people around the world. For the first time in decades, our GDP grew by 3.6%, rather than the usual annual growth of 1%. You could visit Havana and see thriving businesses and bustling streets, as well as U.S. cruise ships arriving. It was a very dynamic city. ‘All of this is based on facts. I am not trying to boost propaganda or anything like that,’ explained David Ramírez, according to Mark Friedman, a member of the International Association of Machinists Local 1484 and an activist with the ‘Cuba in Los Angeles’ committee.

However, Yasser Ibarra emphasised that ‘amid this adversity, we have never been alone. You, our friends in solidarity, have organised campaigns, demonstrations and public actions to demand an end to the blockade. You have collected medicines, medical supplies and food, and delivered them to our people.’

He also expressed gratitude for these gestures, as well as for the times when those present had risked their lives by travelling to Cuba and defying prohibitions designed to prevent people-to-people exchanges. ‘Every act of solidarity — a donation, a letter, a march or a visit to Cuba — is an act of love that Cuba deeply values. It gives us strength to resist, inspires us to keep fighting, and reminds us that solidarity is the noblest language”, he affirmed.

During the event, participants shared experiences from the delegation that attended May Day celebrations in Cuba and expressed their desire to return for similar events.

The Los Angeles branch of the Hands Off Cuba Committee reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to demand the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the lifting of all travel and trade restrictions imposed by U.S. blockade laws, and an end to the occupation of Guantánamo, where an illegal military base exists.

Kevin Kucera, a board member of the California Machinists Union, Mike Vera, a representative of the Inland Boatmen’s Union and the maritime division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and Jensen Walsh, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America in Orange County, endorsed this stance.

Additionally, Jenny Álvarez, a former Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science student, proposed forming another delegation to visit Cuban healthcare institutions, as has been done in the past.

Erika Feresten supported this idea, sharing her experiences of visiting Havana’s Calixto García Hospital. “On our website, we published our first initiative, titled ‘From the Heart to Cuba’. We have three initiatives: sending pacemakers to Cuba, ending the blockade and defending Cuban medical brigades, which are also under attack. Tonight, we are here to discuss the pacemaker campaign. It is imperative that we mobilise and face this challenge. I am pleased to announce that Health Care 4 Us donated $500. Their fundraising campaign raised an additional $750, bringing the total to $1,250,” she stated.

Other speakers proposed additional actions to challenge blockade laws and strengthen the bond between the two peoples, despite the negative policies promoted by the US government to exert control over Cuba.